Teo Yoo received two standing ovations at the Sundance Film Festival

Teo Yoo attended the 2023 Sundance Film Festival as the lead actor in director Celine Song's film 'Past Lives' and received a warm standing ovation.

'Past Life' is the story of Nora and Hae-seong, who have been closely related since childhood. Nora immigrated to Canada at the age of 10 and separated 20 years later. The two become adults and have a fateful reunion for a week in New York. It contains Teo Yoo played the role of Hae-seong and was invited to the Sundance Film Festival for its first screening.

When the screening of 'Past Life' ended at the Sundance Film Festival's Eccles Center on the 21st (local time), the audience stood up and gave a warm standing ovation. He even made it to his feet for the second time, followed by warm applause and cheers, and some audience members were seen shedding tears in the audience.

Battleship Pretension critic David Backgs commented, "Director Celine Song's lovely and solid debut. It's a brilliant portrayal of the bittersweetness of uncertain relationships." Scott Menzel, a critic at We Live Entertainment, said, "'Past Life' is director Celine Song's deeply personal film and directorial debut. It contains a profound story that makes you think about relationships, fate, and the inevitable decisions in between." Fantastic Film critic Jason O'Shea said, "Can we expect to see a better movie this year? The feeling of Linklater and the admiration for Carol combine to create a visual so amazing that it leaves you speechless. It's deep and lingering, and on the other hand, there's a romance rich in emotion. “It is the greatest masterpiece within that ambiguous boundary,” he praised.

Praise continued for the lead actors, including Teo Yoo. Critic Cat Cardenas commented, "The second standing ovation was a tribute to the dazzling chemistry between the director and lead actors Greta Lee and Teo Yoo. Their empty acting leads them into a silent abyss." Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times gave a favorable review, saying, "Director Celine's perspective watching Teo Yoo's acting from behind the camera was good, and I was happy to watch Teo Yoo's acting in this movie." Among these, the British media outlet The Guardian gave it 4 stars and commented that it was director Celine Song's successful debut.

David Rooney of the Hollywood Reporter, a film weekly, and Alyssa Wilkinson of Box praised the film, saying, "The actors' performances were very impressive. It is the best film of Sundance 2023." Next Best Picture critic Matt Neglia said, "'Past Life' tells a story of fate, fate, regret, and the invisible forces that bring us together even when we are worlds apart. Starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John “It was a beautiful directorial debut for director Céline Song through three complex and related stories created from Magaro. It is a film that leaves you with admiration,” he said.

Teo Yoo said, “It is meaningful to me that it is a New York independent film with acting in Korean. It is a film that deals with the theme of relationships, and I also studied acting in New York, came to Korea, and worked as an actor before doing this film. I filmed it. While I was filming while speaking Korean on the streets of New York, where I lived, I vaguely wondered what a relationship is. Watching the movie today, I felt like it expressed my sensitivity toward relationships well, and the texture of the film evoked a certain nostalgia and comforted my heart. “I got the impression that it was a modern, classical movie,” he said.

Teo Yoo is scheduled to hold a press conference at the Sundance Film Festival early tomorrow morning, Korean time, on the 22nd local time.

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr